Some months ago, scientists sent samples of the same DNA to several direct-to- consumer (DTC) genetic testing services. When the reports came back the interpretations of the findings were wildly different. This has just been confirmed by the General Accounting Office and was reported on this week in Washington. So if you want to know […]

The week of May 10th was not a good one for Pathway Genomics. That’s when the FDA sent a letter saying it was looking into Pathway’s genetic test offering. And it’s not the only interested party. According to Genome Web, the House Energy and Commerce Committee wants more information about Pathway’s test,  and about similar […]

The strange story of drug store–based genetic tests. It was a quick trip on and off the shelves at several thousand Walgreens drug stores for Pathway Genomics direct-to-consumer genetic testing kit. Less than 48 hours after announcing the availability of the test kits, Walgreens pulled back due to an intervention by the Food and Drug […]

If your communications department has been enlisted to shore up compliance with hand hygiene requirements (pre- and post-patient contact), take a lesson from Denver Health. As reported in the February 2009 issue of the Journal of Communication in Healthcare, Colorado’s primary “safety net” institution tried humor, incentives, prizes — but nothing worked until they got […]

Authors: Kathleen Dunn and Peter Gordon Part V. Now is it a crane? It is if you can take each of your different edges and planes and decide that they meet at well-defined creases, and that the combination of folds results in a recognizable final offering and a structure to support it. This structure is […]

Authors: Kathleen Dunn and Peter Gordon Part IV. Is it a crane yet? Marketers need to keep in mind that each prospective audience comes to the party with its own set of contextual variables, as well as its own set of conceptions — and misconceptions. Obviously, you begin with a thorough analysis of the needs […]

Authors: Kathleen Dunn and Peter Gordon Part III. Origami marketing – folding the messages It is not critical to understand how all of these scientific disciplines function. However, it is necessary to know where the hinges are — those areas of convergence that connect you with the disciplines that will further the efforts of all. […]

Authors: Kathleen Dunn and Peter Gordon. Part II. From quantum leap to fold change. Diagnostic and genomic tests are now being applied to pharmaceutical decisions. Today, the use of genomic data can optimize the ability to identify discrete subpopulations in clinical trials, leading to the development of highly targeted drug therapies, such as Her-2/Neu measurements […]

Authors: Kathleen Dunn and Peter Gordon Part 1. A head-on collision. Over the last several years, marketing the Life Sciences has meant different things to different people, encompassing pharmaceuticals, diagnostics, molecular diagnostics, molecular imaging, medical devices, bioinformatics, genomics and proteomics, to name the major players. Ironically, as the disciplines named above have become more defined, […]